Marlfox

Written
by Brian Jacques  Illustrated by Fangorn

Reviewed by Jennifer C. (age 13)

Marlfox is a unique and interesting novel by Brian Jacques. It is the compelling tale of Song Swifteye and Dann Reguba as they battle the nefarious and cunning Marlfoxes. The Marlfoxes have slipped over the borders of Mossflower and slunk into Redwall Abbey to steal the precious tapestry of Martin the Warrior. They are a group of villainous, evil foxes who are all vying for their mother, High Queen Silth's, throne. They travel in pairs of two. Their goal is to take the tapestry back to their mother who wants to be surrounded by beautiful things. Yet, one of their own is slain thus resulting in a "war" between the Marlfoxes and the Redwall woodlanders. However, there was treachery in their midst and none were as they seemed.

I personally liked this book. It was full of twists and turns with barrels full of ingenious schemes and engaging battles. The way the author made such a complex story out of the simplest of plots sincerely intrigued me. My favorite part has to be when Lantur poisoned her mother. I liked how she faked fear as she sipped the non-poisoned drink just t o trick the queen into drinking out of the poisoned one. It really brought to light how badly each of them wanted the throne. The Marlfoxes were definitely my favorite characters just because of how inexplicably sly they could be. This book really made me think about how corrupt people could be about power and how that could one day be the downfall of the human race as it was the downfall of the Marlfoxes.

I would recommend this book to people who like drama, suspenseful plots, and plenty of adventure.